National briefs

Australia Post has unveiled plans for “digital mailboxes" for bills, soon after a similar announcement by Computershare. Australia Post’s mail business has been in decline; letter volumes fell 4.2 per cent last financial year. Bills and business-to-consumer communication remain the resilient rump of that business, but even they are now under attack. This month, Computershare announced that it was opening a joint venture with Salmat Ltd and Zumbox to deliver bills and other communications to a mailbox it would offer free to all Australians. A digital mailbox offers a secure online account to which only a handful of select companies may send bills. Australia Post chairman
David Mortimer
said the digital postbox would “complement" the physical post box. Jason Murphy

Petrol prices hit a three-year high last week as resellers factored in potential threats to oil supplies in the Middle East, new figures show. The average price of unleaded petrol rose 3.6¢ to 150.7¢ a litre in the week ending March 25, according to data from the Australian Institute of Petroleum. The national weekly average metropolitan retail price rose 4.3¢ to 150.4¢ a litre, while the national weekly average regional retail price rose 2.1¢ to 151.4¢ a litre. Commsec economist Savanth Sebastian said the surge was expected. “That is exactly what has taken place, with the national average price breaching $1.50 a litre for the first time in 3½ years," he said in a client note. AAP

Labor frontbencher
Gary Gray
will be out of action for several weeks after he undergoes throat surgery. Mr Gray, who is Special Minister of State, will have an operation at a Perth hospital on Thursday. His office describes the operation as “minor". Finance Minister
Penny Wong
will step in for Mr Gray while he recovers. AAP

Strikes would be on the table if the NSW government went ahead with cuts to workers’ compensation, Unions NSW secretary
Mark Lennon
said. NSW Premier
Barry O’Farrell
said yesterday that changes must be made to the WorkCover scheme because of massive cost blowouts. It will be another month before he unveils reforms. Mr Lennon said he would be prepared to discuss the future of WorkCover only if workers’ benefits were not at stake. AAP

Health groups are still pushing for front-of-pack labels on foods to be colour-coded despite their preferred “traffic light" system being rejected late last year. The groups are meeting federal Health Department secretary Jane Halton, state and territory representatives and industry in Canberra today as the next phase of negotiations begins. A progress report on labelling options is due to be finalised for responsible ministers by June and a decision is expected by the end of 2012.AAP